Not on time.....again

That lasted long - not!!! I'm not on time, but that's life. Actually, since no comments were posted on the last entry, it probably isn't as big a deal as I thought (or maybe there isn't anything to write in comments, as except "hello, hope you are well" - I was like that with Steven's blog - I was hanging for each entry (bet you'd never thought that hey?), but actually had nothing of note to write myself), but I think I need to get some of the last few days down in writing, as some of it will disappear from memory, once I'm back in oz.

Again, I think that a day or two's grace, and some newer experiences are likely to make my opinions even more subjective (or introspective and possibly wordy, my apologies in advance).

Okey Dokey - I wrote about tuesday, and today is friday, so it must be Wednesday I was up to, right?

Wednesday was "Ladies market day". The ladies market is in Mong Kok (ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, okay, not funny anymore - well actually it is - I still laugh everytime I see/say it (or Fook Chan Street)), which meant that Taxi was worth the whole $4-5 AU or whatever the hell we paid. We had decided that we would buy Octopus cards when we got here, but taxis are so cheap (which I think has more to do with the strong AUD, than them being any cheaper on a proportionate level to the cost of living here).

The ladies market is in Tung Choi Street, as opposed to the Temple Street Night Markets (which were once the "Men's Market), but all markets are no longer sexist and a variety of fashions for all genders are there, plus other usual stuff. Actually, despite being considerably smaller than the Temple Street Night Markets, it is (again, subjectively), the better of the two.

I think the reason I say this, is that there is just less junk there and more clothing. So much so, that we managed to fill our new suitcase, we picked up the other day at Temple Street.

We are thoroughly thankful that our main suitcase left Australia only half full, and with the 3 packs of nappies we left Oz with, now halved, we will have some space. Having said that, we have one more suitcase's worth of baggage we are allowed on the flight, so we may end up back at Temple Street, just to pick up another "Genuine Copy" Polo suitcase.

I have to say, that the bargaining at this market is considerably more aggressive than Temple St. The sellers are less likely to budge lower than their price, but (again in retrospect), are more aggressive with trying to sell you something, so long as you are in their price range. Again, in retrospect, it is worth being super aggressive as a buyer, because they play poker, but in one fashion, so once the tricks are figured out, it is fairly predictable.

I also didn't do us a favour at one stage, because I went to the ATM to get money out. Trouble is the ATM gave me HK$500 notes (probably the equivalent to our $100 notes - I'd never seen one beforehand). One seller saw it when I went to pay a stallholder next door, and was firm as firm could be. Jovia got irritated, and I just said to her "it's what the ATM spat out - I cannot help it". Generally, I had been going with a couple of smaller notes in the top part of my traveller's wallet, and the balance in the lower part (deeper down).

The aggression - I can illustrate. I had a lady with men's clothing and I saw two shirts (together, almost a set, but two items that can be worn separate). Lady says "Special for you - normally $210, I do $190." I said "No way, $100", she says "$160", I say "No, $100", "$150", "No, sorry" shake head and start walking. She pulls my shirt "okay, okay $140", "no, sorry" - continue walking. "$130", "no, sorry", keep walking. "you hurting me, okay $120" and I say "$110, I give you, and you have your sale, or no". "Okay, $110". So I got them for $110, which at current exchange rates, gives me two shirts for less than $20 AU. The lady's assistant/friend says something in Cantonese, and the lady replies "hai, [words in Cantonese], he did good".

Jovia did some bargaining, when I was trying to get my notage sorted, and the stall holder was very unhappy with her.

Whereas, once I'd sorted it out, another stall holder, shook Jovia's hand and said she did very well at bargaining.

I also realised after Tuesday's post, that we'd taken few photos (especially meaningful ones) that day, so wanted to ramp things up. The say is "a picture tells a thousand words", and I can describe (probably poorly) how things are, but the photos will do better. I'll leave a footnote/addendum to say which photos are which.

Another good thing, is that the aisles between the stalls on the left and right are wide enough to get a pram through. In a place that doesn't seem to make life with prams/wheelchairs easier, it's a fair concession for us.

And because it is clothing and decent souvenir related - you don't get miles of junk and adult products being displayed in the open.

Another great thing, is that it starts at 12:30 and goes until around 9pm, rather than 4-11pm, which the temple street ones do. This means we don't sit around here twiddling our thumbs for a day, before going out.

But I feel sorry for Jovia. The clothes are made for women a good foot shorter than her - even the chubby ones are short, so nothing is long enough. We picked up a couple of dresses, that she can use as summer skirts (long at least). Tops, bras and pants - forget it. It's funny - there are quite a number of chubby chinese (there is no physical things to do here, other than walking), but no "big" clothing.

We ended up having lunch in a Japanese place we found in a side alley. Easily the best Japanese curry I've ever had, and I shared some of the potato with esther who was enthusiastic about it. Again, fed a family of 5 for around $30 AU, including drinks. It's pretty random what we eat outside Sham Shui Po, it's firstly "can we get the pram in" and secondly "are the prices reasonable". Once that complex criteria is met, we go in.

I'm finding another thing, other than a decent price, that is helpful. Generally, with the local food, especially the local cantonese staples - we are only eating 2 meals a day and drinking water/iced tea/coke/beer for the balance of the time. Considering that we are doing so much walking (therefore using the energy we put in) and the fact that we aren't hungry for a lengthy period afterwards, until we want the next feed, is impressive. Our bodies seem to also be no longer hungry in the morning, until around 11am (acclimatisation?), so a cup of tea (and a bowl of cereal for the girls) does the trick, until we are ready to have brunch.

The annoyances? The amount of staring and the fact that everybody wants to 1. Stop us to ask us about the girls, and/or 2. Take photos, and/or 3. Have a hug.

Steven made a comment about being a celebrity - we literally feel like it. We get swamped, especially in the markets.

The irony is, that they see more westerners in the market, than the Sham Shui Po locals do, yet we get more overt attention there. It cost us a bag with a dress in it (nicked/dropped/left behind? Don't know).

And if I had a dollar for everytime I've said "Hai, saam goa" (yes three kids), I'd have paid for this trip. Having said that the locals appreciate that I've figured out, and can at least, in broken cantonese, tell them that I have three kids, their order and their ages.

We did have a laugh, with a group of women who asked us (I can't remember how, with our non-existent cantonese and their equal amount of English) whether we wanted 4, a boy or had enough. They laughed at the fact that we were adament that we were having no more, and the fact that I managed to express that with a couple of Cantonese words and some fairly firm hand signals.

We finished up at the markets and ended up back here, via return taxi at around 7pm. So the girls had an early night. Jovia was playing DS (I downloaded Jewel Quest and a crosswords game) and I was updating Tuesday's blog. She felt peckish around 10pm, so I ducked out by myself to get her something (and my carbohydrate intake ;) as well). I wish I'd taken out the camera - it was just such a fascinating insight into the lives of people here. Absolutely incredible. Even then I don't think I could explain it all, or even that the photos could.

I've mentioned that nothing gets going until the middle of the day and everyone keeps going until almost midnight in some instances. To be honest - I think it is their way of dealing with the same problem in Brisbane summer. It is too hot to do anything in daylight, so doing it when it is cooler works better. In Brisbane, we do it in the wee hours of the morning (joggers at 4am in summer?), here people work at late hours doing things.

There were side streets (Pei Ho Street, Kwelin Street, Yee Kuk Street, Hai Tan Street), where people were unloading whitegoods, organising their shops/stalls, sorting out metals/recycling, buying/selling, making food - whatever. It was just this busy place where people were just being human beings in their own cultural way.

The other thing that has to be said. HK Chinese will sell/do anything, so long as they have a piece of concrete to do it (if it rains, they deal with that at the time - makeshift rooves and coverings are in vogue too). The buildings are all apartment blocks, with a rollerdoor at the bottom, which are all converted into shops. Those shops spill out onto the pavement, and then there are people having impromptu "markets" on the sidewalk, probably rent free. So the taxis/traffic are having to divert around all this junk (especially in the side streets). And people unloading goods (probably from the back of a truck - literally), selling things, conversing and doing their work on the sidewalk. If it was Australia, it would be a litigation (and governmental) nightmare, but here, people either don't have rules, or ignore them (I'm not sure which and in what proportions.

I ended up wandering around for a while - primarily because 1. I had to be able to honestly tell Jovia that the place I got her food from was anally hygenic and 2. Because nothing on any shop's menu was in English.

You see, Sham Shui Po, isn't a place that gets many Westerners. We have seen I think 2 or 3 lots, in the entire time we've been here. We saw some on the first day (when we'd got to the Golden Dragon Centre and figured out where to eat) - a German (with wife and one kid), who was as overwhelmed as us and just happy to ask an opinion in a language he and his wife understood "where to eat". And one lot in this hotel.

Our hotel is basically the only one in Sham Shui Po and the neighbouring suburbs. Most hotels are in Tsim Sha Tsui (in Kowloon Municipality) or on HK Island (Disneyland Hotels excepted). You do see Westerners there (more on that in another post). So we are 1. an anomale and 2. not able to communicate in English, since the locals have no need to understand it.

The hotel staff here are, in my opinion to date, the only people who can speak a sentence in English. Their English is quite good actually. But this hotel isn't a haunt for English speaking tourists, as a rule. It is generally Chinese from the mainland (presumably southern Cantonese speaking areas), or Chinese speaking business people who tend to come here. So when we come, and the occasional tourist, it is just an anomale - a blip.

Having said that, as a side point, they have given us a photocopy map with some places written on it in English, which I'd happily frame, when we get back to Australia, such as its usefulness has been.

Anywho, back to the story. I was looking around for a place to get something, and finally went to an eat-out below "Mr Beef Seafood Restaurant". Got to the front counter, and asked the gent if he speaks English. Stupid question, let's move on. Tried to ask whether they do takeaway. He had no idea was I was talking about and we ended up politely uncomfortable. He then calls out into this eat out (like a local haunt) if anyone can understand me. So a gent (customer) gets up and says "yes". He asks me (he was a bit of a smug git, but helpful. He says "are you dirty?" and then tells it to the bloke behind the counter) what I want. I ask firstly do they do takeaway. Yes. He asks, "But what would you want to eat". I said (under clear instructions) "Something with beef (braised preferably), noodles, veges and broth". He tells the guy and then the guys says "it's $23" in Cantonese, the guy goes to translate and I say "I got the amount", hand him the cash and thank the guy profusely for his help.

That afforded me time to sit down and people watch. This place was certainly nothing fancy, but the clientele were mostly loyal customers, judging by how much they joked with the waitresses (a couple of chubby 40ish women and a younger, ugly girl of around 30). People sitting around chatting in groups, eating, smoking (they were not adhering to the law, which stipultes a penalty of HK$5000 (around $850-$1000 AU) for smoking indoors in a public place). A couple of older men (5o's), sitting outside at a 2 person table - looking like they'd been mates for years, eating, having a smoke, drinking a bottle of beer together.

As another side point, I mentioned that HK Chinese don't drink much. Generally when a 640ml bottle (usually Tsintao or some other brewed under licence beer) is ordered, two glasses of a 200ml or so capacity (small glasses indeed) are sent out as a matter of course.

It was just so human, and such an insight into life, normal people, with normal relationships, in their community, being human beings. It was lovely to watch.

I went home via 7-o's, got a couple of cans of beer, and headed back to the suite.

Jovia was chuffed with her meal (I ended up "having" to help her, as it was way too much), and at a price of HK$23 (around $4 AU at current exchange rates), pretty good value.

Anywho, I was going to catch it up to today (Friday), but now that Friday has become Saturday, you'll have to suffice with just Wednesday. At least the post is detailed (or boring and wordy).

Love you all heaps, and miss you and can't wait to see you once again and give you lots of hugs. If mum doesn't read this, give her an extra big hug from me.

Appendix for photos:

1. Me and Jovia - Olivia took this photo

2. An Engrish-funny - actually, very few Engrish funnies are around, everything is generally written correctly - Tshirts being a noteable exception - these are hilarious.

3. Picture of Ladies market - daylight - yay!

4. Picture of a side behind the markets - we found our restaurant down this further up.